“The 25 1/4-inch-by-21 1/2-inch bas-relief bust depicting a woman — reputed to be Rodin’s model and mistress, Camille Claudel — was donated by the French government when the memorial was completed in 1912. The plaque was removed from the 72-foot-tall granite monument last year when crews began cleaning the memorial to French explorer Samuel de Champlain.”
Tag: 05.10.09
The New Women Conductors
“Classical music institutions throughout the world are embracing the notion of female conductors more than ever. In addition to appearing regularly as guest conductors and in assistant conductor positions with top orchestras, women are now commonly in the running for — and occasionally winning — music directorships.”
Vegas Remakes Its Theatre
“Theater is undergoing a metamorphosis in Las Vegas. Since the 1990s, when Las Vegas began energetically selling itself not just as a getaway for gamblers and bachelor parties but as a family-friendly destination with theme parks and entertainments for all ages, Sin City has been a port of call for well-known Broadway musicals.”
Will Our Best Writers Be Writing Video Games?
“With book sales falling, it may not be long before prose writers jump ship for a medium that offers some of the most exciting possibilities of the new century.”
Damien Hirst’s New Turn
“Hirst’s latest art is surprising — oil paintings, a remarkably old-fashioned medium for a man best known as art’s bad boy. It’s almost as if Bill Gates turned to the abacus. Most of the new pictures feature ghostly white skulls floating on a blue-black background. Why did Hirst turn to painting after his enormous success with sculpture and installations?”
The Air Gone Out Of Cannes
“On the plus side, Hollywood studios are enjoying a bumper box office in 2009 despite the global recession, and the dollar’s relative strength will boost purchasing power. But the protracted credit crunch, added to slowing DVD sales and depressed advertising, will cast a shadow over Cannes, both in terms of business and pleasure.”
Choreographer Versus Presenter
“A contract dispute between a choreographer and the 92nd Street Y has caused a stir in the field — and provided a glimpse into the fraught relationship between struggling dance makers and presenters.”
Star Trek‘s Future Of The Past
“The show appeared at a signal moment in the progression of pop culture literacy. Star Trek was an early manifestation of our contemporary absorption with the pop culture of the past.”